FOR REPORTERS

EFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS

EFFECTIVE LISTENING

 Is basically the point where you understood what the other person is trying to say. It may
be direct, indirect or statement.
 Is actively absorbing the information given to you by a speaker, showing that you are
listening and interested, and providing feedback to the speaker so that he or she knows
the message was received. Delivering verbal communication, like writing a newsletter,
involves trying to choose the right words and nonverbal cues to convey a message that
will be interpreted in the way that you intend. Effective listeners show speakers that they
have been heard and understood.

IN A NUTSHELL,

Almost everyone sincerely believes that he or she listens effectively. Consequently, very
few people think they need to develop their listening skills. But, in fact, listening effectively is
something that very few of us can do. It's not because listening effectively is so difficult. Most
of us have just never developed the habits that would make us effective listeners.

Research has found that by listening effectively, you will get more information from the
people you manage, you will increase others' trust in you, you will reduce conflict, you will better
understand how to motivate others, and you will inspire a higher level of commitment in the
people you manage.

You probably don’t listen as effectively as you think you do… and you probably don’t know it.

A study of over 8,000 people employed in businesses, hospitals, universities, the military
and government agencies found that virtually all of the respondents believed that they
communicate as effectively or more effectively than their co-workers. (Could everyone be above
average?) However, research shows that the average person listens at only about 25% efficiency.
While most people agree that listening effectively is a very important skill, most people don't feel
a strong need to improve their own skill level.

Why Effective Listening Matters

To a large degree, effective leadership is effective listening. A study of managers and

employees of a large hospital system found that listening explained 40% of the variance in
leadership.
Effective listening is a way of showing concern for subordinates, and that fosters cohesive
bonds, commitment, and trust. Effective listening tends to reduce the frequency of
interpersonal conflict and increases the likelihood that when conflicts emerge they will be
resolved with a "win-win" solution. In addition, if you listen to the people you manage, you will
learn "what makes them tick." When you know what makes them tick, you will be more effective
at motivating them. You can encourage them when they need encouraging, and you will know
what kinds of things they value as rewards for a job well done (e.g., additional responsibility,
public praise, autonomy, etc.).

TYPES OF LISTENING

When we engage in listening we are doing so for many different reasons depending upon
the goals in which we are trying to achieve. There are four different types of listening that are
essential to know when deciding what your goal as the listener is. The four types of listening are
appreciative, empathic, comprehensive, and critical. Familiarize yourself with these different
types of listening so you can strengthen and improve your ability to critically think and evaluate
what you have heard.

1. APPRECIATIVE LISTENING
When you listen for appreciation you are listening for enjoyment. Think about the music you
listen to. You usually listen to music because you enjoy it. The same can be said for appreciative
listening when someone is speaking. Some common types of appreciative listening can be found
in sermons from places of worship, from a motivational speech by people we respect or hold in
high regard, or even from a standup comedian who makes us laugh.

2. EMPATHIC LISTENING
 When you listen empathically you are doing so to show mutual concern. During this type of
listening you are trying to identify with the speaker by understanding the situation in which
he/she is discussing. You are stepping into the other’s shoes to get a better understanding of
what it is he/she is talking about. Usually during this type of listening you want to be fully present
in the moment or mindfully listening to what the speaker is saying. Your goal during this time is
to focus on the speaker, not on yourself. You are trying to understand from the speaker’s
perspective.

3. COMPREHENSIVE LISTENING
If you are watching the news, listening to a lecture, or getting directions from someone, you
are listening to understand or listening to comprehend the message that is being sent. This
process is active. In class, you should be focused, possibly taking notes of the speaker’s main
ideas. Identifying the structure of the speech and evaluating the supports he/she offers as
evidence. This is one of the more difficult types of listening because it requires you to not only
concentrate but to actively participate in the process. The more you practice listening to
comprehend, the stronger listener you become.

4. CRITICAL LISTENING
Have you ever had to buy an expensive item, such as a new appliance, a car, a cell phone, or
an iPad? You probably did some research beforehand and listened closely to the salesperson
when you went to compare brands. Or perhaps your best friend is telling you about some medical
tests he/she recently had done. You listen closely so you can help your friend understand her
results and the possible ramifications of the findings. Both of these scenarios are examples of
critical listening. Critical listening is listening to evaluate the content of the message. As a critical
listener you are listening to all parts of the message, analyzing it, and evaluating what you heard.
When engaging in critical listening, you are also critically thinking. You are making mental
judgments based on what you see, hear, and read. Your goal as a critical listener is to evaluate
the message that is being sent and decide for yourself if the information is valid.

TECHNIQUES FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING

1. DECIDE TO LISTEN

Listening is a choice. So deciding to stop talking and start listening is an important first step.

2. LET GO OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL AGENDA

 To truly hear someone, you need to let go of your own agenda, and prejudices. Focus your
attention by clearing away all distractions and any preconceived notions, so that you can be
fully present and create space in your mind for different views.

3. LISTEN FOR THE WHOLE MESSAGE

Make sure you hear and understand the whole message before you respond. A common bad
habit is to only hear what you expect to hear, and then begin rehearsing your response, ready to
pitch in as soon as the dialog has stopped. (Or worse still, interrupting with a response to what
you think you are likely to hear.)

4. FEEL EMPATHY
This is particularly important when people communicate something personal or painful.
Empathy is more than feeling sorry for someone. Empathy requires you to first understand and
feel others’ emotions and feelings so that you can then acknowledge the message and share your
new understanding.

5. MANAGE YOUR OWN EMOTIONS AND REACTIONS

If what others are saying creates an emotional response in you, be attentive to listen for the
intent and full meaning of their words. Don’t allow others to blow wind into your sails. Remember
you have control of your reactions. You cannot stop the wind, but you can choose to let it spill
off your sails! Maintaining your calm, even when you feel like your ‘buttons’ are being pushed, is
a powerful skill that will help you achieve your goals in all aspects of your life. Getting defensive
and angry makes it difficult to impossible to listen.

OUR MOST COMMON LISTENING MISTAKES

“We may believe that we are good listeners, but listening is more than waiting for your turn to
interrupt.”

Here is a list of the most common mistakes we make when listening to other people:

 Daydreaming or thinking of something else (even something as simple as your list of

groceries) while another person is speaking;
 Thinking of what to say next;
 Judging what the other person is saying;
 Listening with a specific goal/outcome in mind.
 These mistakes are simply signs that we are not hearing what another person is saying. And
without active listening, it is difficult to explore a person’s actual feelings and thoughts, and by
doing so, have an engaging conversation where people feel respected—because you listened.
So how can we overcome the pitfall of mindless communication and become good active
listeners?

THE CHALLENGE OF ONLINE LEARNING IN LISTENING CLASS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Covid-19 pandemic has changed many aspects in human life worldwide. Some aspects
such economy, social, politic, and education have been impacted by this pandemic. Education is
one of crucial aspects that should be concerned. Learning activity has been conducting for several
months not through face to face meeting but through online learning and other forms of learning.

The first challenge is related to the choosing of suitable technological devices, system and
application used during the class. The second challenge is the packaging of material delivered so
that it will be simplified but not to decrease the quality level of the material The third challenge
is the application of effective method and strategy suit to online learning in listening class.

Studying at home through online learning becomes the safest process during Covid-19
pandemic since the government of many countries did not want to take the risk of more massive
spread of Covid-19 virus at schools and universities. Online learning is a set of learning in which
teachers or lecturers delivering material and there is interaction among teachers and students or
students and lecturer through internet access by means of certain technological devices or
application.

Listening considered as one of difficult skills and it is not easy to make such kind of online
learning for listening class with a sudden preparation. Considering that creating effective online
learning for listening class triggering some challenges, some difficulties in listening class should
be concerned too. Before discussing the challenges of online learning in listening class, the
difficulties often suffered by the students will be elaborated firstly.

Those common difficulties are;

1. Getting the gist of speakers’ talk which delivered fast. Meanwhile, students only have
limited chance to listen again the material spoken. Listening as also made harder by
speech speed.
Moreover, vocabulary knowledge and other English language components limitation being
the obstacle too. state that listening in second language is not far different from listening in first
language, nevertheless the learners having limited knowledge of the language learnt.
 In addition, some major problems the learners experience in listening comprehension are
cultural differences, accent, vocabulary, length or the speed of the language input.

2. Different accents used by native speakers and the type of speech talked.
3. Vocabulary mastery which is not sufficient to support the listening process and,
4. The limited time and chance to review and to go backward of the spoken material which
missed by the students.

Those difficulties often bring complexity in the class and students really need lecturers'
optimal support. Listening process should be done through some processes and in each process
students should be guided by the teacher in order they can manage well each difficulty they
experience during the class.

WHAT ARE THE USEFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR OVERCOMING STUDENTS’ LISTENING

COMPREHENSION DIFFICULTIES?

There are some suggestions that are beneficial to students to overcome some of their listening
comprehension problems. They are as follows:

a. Listening activities should be provided based on the students’ needs and teachers
should provide authentic listening materials for students that help them understand better the
natural speech uttered by native speakers.
b. Listening activities should be presented according to their level of complexities; that is,
listening activities should be provided from the very simple texts to the lower level students and
moved to the very complicated authentic materials to the advanced students.
c. Teachers should give their students the necessary feedback on their performance
because it can promote their error correction and increase their motivation, and help them to
develop their confidence in listening exercises
d. Teachers should help their students to develop the necessary skills of listening
comprehension like listening for understanding particular information, listening for the main
ideas, explanation and inference, listening for intended meaning through providing different
tasks and activities at different levels.
e. Teachers should encourage their students to develop listening strategies. Predicting,
asking for clarification, and using non-verbal cues are some examples of these strategies that
improve learners’ listening comprehension ability.
 Students having difficulties in listening at their online class is due to few problems that
they are encountering. First is about their internet connection, when they don’t have a good
internet connection they tend not to focus on the discussion because they don’t understand it at
all, they are having a hard time to catch up to the discussion because of the technical issue.
Second is Adaptability struggle, students are not used to the Education System that they
have now, it is hard for them to practice the new learning system that they have now, some
discussion are not that too catchy, and some other teachers are also having struggle how they
can get the attention of their students, because they don’t even know what their students do in
time of online class or discussion and they cannot handle it properly.
Third one is about Self-motivation, they lack motivation when they are having their online
class because they are just all alone in their rooms while having their online class, they don’t have
friends to talk to about the lesson, that is they get bored.
And last is the distractions, they are having lots of distraction since they are just in house, so they
can do whatever they want to do while having the online class, because their teachers can’t
monitor them all, or their teachers can’t see what the students are doing.

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